FAQ
We primarily focus on serving ware pieces that are fit for everyday use. These pieces are made from high fire clay, which means they are created with a clay that can withstand the high firing temperatures to make the pieces non-porous, so they won't absorb and hold moisture. They are fired a second time, bonding the glaze to the piece. Almost all of our glazes in the studio are food, dishwasher, and microwave safe. We do use some special glazes on our decorative pieces that are not intended for food or drink, such as: ornaments, handmade clay flowers, and sculptural pieces. We always specify in the description if a product is not deemed food safe.
Each piece varies considerably. The timeline of each piece is broken down by different stages of the process, so each piece gets worked on and handled a minimum of 3 times before it is finished.
Greenware Stage: this is when the raw clay is first manipulated, either by throwing it on the wheel, hand building with slabs or sculpting techniques, or slip cast.
Leather hard Stage: at this stage, the clay is no longer tacky, but still soft enough to manipulate. This is when the piece can be carved into, rims of pieces can be manipulated into a fluted shape, or rough edges can be smoothed out. The piece is trimmed of any access clay at the point and stamped with a maker's mark.
Bone Dry Stage: after a piece is trimmed and edited in the leather hard stage, it goes through a slow, controlled dry until it is bone dry and rid of any moisture. This process cannot be rushed, and any left moisture in the piece will cause it to explode in the kiln firing. Depending on the size and thickness of the piece, this can take 3-10 days.
Bisque Stage: this is when the piece becomes ceramic. It is fired in the kiln for 8-12 hours for its first firing, which changes the piece from clay to ceramic, hardening the piece. This first firing typically takes 12-24 hours to cool down after the firing before the pieces can be taken out of the kiln and inspected.
Glazing Stage: after a piece is bisque fired, it can be glazed. Glazes can be put on in many different ways, and depending on the design or textured effect we are after it can be several coats of glazes applied.
Final Firing: after the glazing is done, the pieces are arranged in the kiln for their final firing, which takes around 9-10 hours to fire, and about 24 hours to cool down back to handling temperatures.
We do take on commissioned orders from time-to-time, and would love to chat with you on what special items you have in mind! Depending on the time of year (the holiday season is always a bit busier) and the extent of the order, we will give you a quote for price and timeline. If it is a special color request outside of our wheelhouse, there will be an additional fee for supply procurement and a set of test tiles done first, before the commissioned pieces are glazes to insure you are happy with the color results run with our clay and kiln, as glaze results vary with every studio environment.
If you are interested in placing a commissioned order, please reach out via email at northernsprucestudio@gmail.com and we will setup a time to meet with you and learn more!